Serpent Point and adjacent walls within one-half mile, including the area above the listed wall(s) from the canyon edge extending for 50 ft. away from the canyon but not including developed trails and overlooks. Climbing routes included in this closure: East Arete, Southern Arete, West Arete, Forrest Walker, Journey through Mirkwood, Stratosfear, and The Dragon.

2013 Raptor Closures Serpent Point and the adjacent walls within one-half mile are closed to public use from March 15 through July 15. This includes the landscape portions above the walls extending 50 feet from the rim edge. This pertains to the following areas:

Description

There are two different starts to the route. The cleaner start follows the first two pitches of the The Cruise/Scenic Cruise and then traverses left to the start of the third pitch of the Goss-Logan. The original start takes a bushy chimmey about a hundred feet left of the Cruise start. Allow at least ten hours for the route, if not more. We did it in 11 hours rim to rim with me leading all of the pitches but the third. This is a serious route with some big fall potential on pitch seven. Not as classic as the Scenic Cruise but a lot more demanding. Once past the first three pitches the climb becomes cleaner. I didn't climb the route for years because of the "rep" of pitch seven. Thanks to whoever replaced the bolts on that pitch. They don't make the runouts any shorter, just a little more comforting.

Pitch one and two: 5.9 Start as for the Cruise and climbing up 200 feet to a belay just below a large ledge at some fixed slings. This can done as one pitch using a 200 foot rope. Use long slings to avoid rope drag. Traverse left for 100 feet to a bushy corner system.

Pitch three: 5.8 Climb up the bushy corner past a couple of fixed pins with slings to a ledge just below a blocky section.

Pitch four: 5.9 Go left up the corner system and reach a belat at a bolt and fixed stopper.

Pitch five: 5.9 Go left and then down a for 10 feet. Climb up the wide crack/chimmey to the top of a large block. Use caution gaining the top of the block due to loose rock. Belay from bolts from the river side of the block.

Pitch six: 5.10 Climb up the obtuse thin corner with small gear to a belay at new bolt and bomber yellow alien.I would almost give this pitch an r-rating.

Pitch seven:5.11R The runout pitch. There are two long (20-25 feet) runout sections on this pitch with very bad fall potential. Traverse up and right into a small corner, place gear (small stopper and green alien) and then go right (scary 5.9) on fairly good holds to the first bolts (one modern/one old button)take a deep breath and traverse right on small edges (scary 5.10) to the second bolt. Clip the bolt and climb straight up past two more bolts (5.11) tending right to a crack (wild exposure). Belay about 15 feet up the crack or continue another 30 feet to a good ledge. I belay in the crack to keep my second in sight. A wild, wild pitch.

Pitch eight: 5.10+ Climb the obvious flaring hand and fist crack with good gear up to a good ledge. A hard pitch.

Pitch nine: 5.10 Climb up a hand and fist crack that leads into a wide chimmey. Follow the chimmey and veer left onto a flake. Climb the flake and then go right up a shallow, narrow groove (green alien at the top of the groove) and mantle onto a good ledge that meets into the "the Cruise/Scenic Cruise. Climb up a short slab to a good belay below a huge flake. Option: 5.10+ Traverse left under the overhang and then climb up a thin corner that leads directly to the shallow groove. I got off route on this pitch and did the above option.

Pitch ten: 5.8 Climb up blocky rock and then a short corner with a thin crack. Step left and go behind the huge flake. Climb up the flake and then flip the rope around to the front side of the flake. Climb up a short crack to a new three-bolt anchor.

Pitch eleven: 5.9+ Traverse right on a fairly good holds then up a short corner to a bolt (1/4 inch) on the right. Go right and then reach a new bolt and make a hard move past the bolt reaching a crack system. Follow the crack up to a great ledge below a small overhang.

Pitch twelve: 5.9+ Crank over the overhang and angle left up a good ledge and belay.

Pitch thirteen: Traverse left on good flakes for 25 feet to a corner. Follow the corner straight up (5.9+) to a good belay just below a red-colored overhang.

Pitch fourteen:5.8 Climb through the overhang and up a short corner. At the top of the corner veer right into a slot with a flake/crack on the left. Crank up the flake and over a small overhang to a large ledge system and the end of the climb. Traverse up and right to another ledge system. Go left for 300 feet to just below the overlook. climb up to the top.

Protection

Bring a standard rack up to a four friend, double up on the hand to fist size, six long slings and six quickdraws. A couple of the bolts on the crux pitch have been updated.

Bob, did you really climb this route, or did someone remove these "modern" bolts? What my partner and I found last week were old, bent, sketchy buttons with homemade hangers. I doubt that they would hold much of a fall. The rest of the climb consisted of dirty, bushy cracks, loose rock, a death spike, and a chimney painted with bird shit. This route is not nearly as good as its neighbors, and is only worth doing if you're a Black Canyon buff. Much of the climbing could clean up a bit with more traffic, but the crux pitch is definitely sketch. Bring screamers.

It's been about 15 years ago now, but I thoroughly enjoyed this route. It probably has more loose rock than any other Black Canyon route I've done, but a few of the pitches are stellar. The loose sections can actually be fun if you have the right mindset.

We climbed the Goss-Logan yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 1), and found only 1 modern bolt at the start of the 5.11 pitch. The bolts during the hard climbing are not very trustworthy at all. One of the old bolts is bent and cracked also, and it so happens that it's a key bolt in the midsts of the crux. Overall, the route was OK, with some difficult climbing. The highlight was getting back on the Cruise.

This is a good route and the run out pitch was really not that bad. The hard climbing is well protected. The bolt protecting the crux is bent, but there is another bolt a few feet below it that is good. Greg said that there was loose rock on the route, but it must have cleaned up a lot in the last 16 years, because it seemed pretty clean to me.

Despite the new/old bolt issue, Bob's description is very good. Comments on pitches using Bob's numbering: P2 to P3 - might want to belay this easy but loose traverse P3 and P4 - easy to combine at about 220 ft. - dirty and booshey - P6 - Last 20ft. of this pitch you are above a pillar. May be a bad place to fall. P7 - These bolts, particularly the last/highest one, should be replaced. It will still be exciting with new bolts. P8 - short pitch, only 50ft. or so depending on belays but tough to link to the pitches above or below P9 - Right option forces you to pull on a couple scary blocks. The left option may be the way to go. It looked clean from above? Retreat - The route seemed moderately well set up to descend from the top of pitch 6. You'd need to leave a few things but not much. I'm guessing this happens a lot.